Sample testing comprising at least one heating step is in widespread use in many fields of application. For example, in order to measure and determine flour quality for the purposes of classification, it is common to do a test called the Falling Number test, which consists of testing a mixture of flour and liquid. A heating step is necessary for this test. Documents WO9902965 and DE1598437 present implementations of this test or similar tests. The Falling Number test is still used in practice, by placing the content in a rigid test container and placing the test container in a water bath in order to heat the content. The principle of a water bath means that water is consumed. Also, it is sometimes difficult to control the temperature of the content when using a water bath. This principle is also very resistant to temperature increases and to cooling. As the temperature of the bath depends on the altitude at which the test is performed, it is sometimes necessary to correct the values obtained by the test. Moreover, the manipulators using the bath to conduct the test must take significant safety precautions, particularly to prevent burns. Finally, the use of a water bath means that the test device has a large footprint.
In fields of application other than flour quality tests, various solutions are known from the prior art for implementing a test system comprising a heating device, in particular for testing content.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,098A discloses a quartz test container in two parts, received in an outer container made of quartz. Around the quartz outer tube, a mechanism with an endless screw guides a translationally mobile carriage supporting a coil extending in part around the quartz outer tube and heating the interior of the quartz tube, in particular by induction. This type of system has significant bulk and does not permit simple homogeneous heating of the test container content while avoiding temperature spikes at certain locations.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,170A aims to provide a solution for rapidly heating the content of a plurality of test containers. The test rack disclosed in this document comprises means for creating a magnetic field adapted to pass through the test rack so as to induce an electric current therein and heat the all the test containers on a regular basis. The system described, apart from its size as it is intended for testing several containers at once, permits an even heating of all the test containers, but does not ensure uniform heating of all the content of a test container.
Document EP0439900A2 relates to an induction heating furnace comprising a refractory crucible and a continuous metallic shell. Lugs may be installed on the shell, which permit translational movement of the furnace vessel into or out of the interior of the induction coil. The system described in document EP0439900A2 does not provide easy access to the heated content. In addition, the translational movement of the furnace vessel involves the use of a bulky moving device and special precautions for manipulation of the furnace.
Thus, the systems described in documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,930,098A, 3,435,170A, and EP0439900A2 appear to provide heating in which it is possible to control (at least partially) the temperature of the content to be heated, but all have numerous drawbacks, and in particular a large footprint, a complicated implementation of the device, significant usage precautions in order to avoid accidents, and/or are not easily adapted to heating content for the purposes of conducting a test.
There is therefore a need to create a test system comprising a heating device that is simple to implement and to manipulate without risk to operator safety and that has a small footprint while providing uniform heating of the content of a container for the purposes of conducting a test on said content.